Weekly Health Tips

LIGHT THERAPY TO TREAT DEPRESSION

Posted: 06.15.2016

Light therapy, which is used to treat seasonal affective disorder
(SAD), may also be effective in treating nonseasonal depression,
especially when combined with an antidepressant. A new study involving
122 adults with major depression assigned participants to one of four
groups: light therapy and a placebo; a device that was not light therapy
and an antidepressant; the placebo device and placebo pill; and light
and an antidepressant. After 4 weeks, about 60% of the group using
light therapy and an antidepressant had remission of their symptoms
while the other groups had only small improvements.